Bang, Bang 2: Al Bhed Assassins
by Motoko Forever
Summary: After the darkness of Death comes the twilight of uncertainty and change and then the guidance of light blossoms anew. M for violence, sexual context and language.
1. Prologue

**Bang, Bang 2: Al Bhed Assassins **

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2 so you can't sue me.

AN: Because you wanted me to write again, I give this to you now. Here it is, another useless story filled with useless death and bloodshed.

Prologue: Terrible Things

_6 months later_

So hysa ec Rikku, yht E ryja tuha dannepma drehkc. E tacdnuoat so luiceh palyica cra fyc eh muja fedr Tidus pid fyc cmaabehk fedr Baralai. E gemmat Baralai palyica ra fyc saccehk fedr Yuna frah ra fyc cibbucat du pa Paine's mujan. E gemmat so vneaht Paine palyica cra fyc eh muja fedr Baralai pid geccat sa ehcdayt. Yht vehymmo, E gemmat Tidus palyica ra fyc cmaabehk fedr sa, ghufehk vimm famm dryd ra fyc ahkykat du so luiceh. E fydlrat ymm uv so vneahtc tea yd so ryhtc yht E crat hud uha dayn…. So hysa ec Rikku yht E ryja tuha dannepma drehkc…pid E ryja hu naknadc.

_My name is Rikku, and I have done terrible things. I destroyed my cousin because she was in love with Tidus but was sleeping with Baralai. I killed Baralai because he was messing with Yuna when he was supposed to be Paine's lover. I killed my friend Paine because she was in love with Baralai but kissed me instead. And finally, I killed Tidus because he was sleeping with me, knowing full well that he was engaged to my cousin. I watched all of my friends die at my hands and I shed not one tear… Was it because I was heartless or because I felt as though I was finishing what I had to do, finishing my duty to them all? I do not know my motivation, nor my resolution originally, simply that what was done was done to procure innocence, the substance of all life. My name is Rikku and I have done terrible things…but I have no regrets. _

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People say that with time, your wounds heal, that the scars go away and that all memory of the past fades away. They say that your sins are all forgiven and that you can go on with a normal life, free of sin. How foolish I was to believe that it was all true, that my sins would fade away and become nothingness, as it was before.

I don't know where it came from, the anger that I had for them all, the contempt and the lacking concern for their well-being. It was just there suddenly and it made me that much angrier when I finally ended it, everything. I never wanted it to be this way, me having to hurt them. I never wanted to hurt them…I never wanted to make them hurt and I never meant to be the one to hurt them so badly. I just wanted all of my friends to be happy. But instead, I caused them so much misery.

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He was worried before I ever was, which was surprising, seeing as I was always the one who worried a lot. He never worried, not as much as I did at least.

"You know, if any of them are living and the Council finds out, we're going to become renegades, right? I mean… Yuna is the High Summoner and our little Baralai is the praetor of New Yevon…"

"You're right: My cousin _was _the High Summoner and Baralai _was _the praetor of Yevon. But none of that matters now, does it?"

"You're right, I guess," he responded, and offhandedly, he added, "as usual. But at any rate, Rikku, we could get in trouble."

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AN: Short...I know. But, it gets better. And there is a plot coming eventually. This chapter is actually useless but, hey -- do what you gotta do, right?


	2. Admiration before Ambition

**Bang, Bang 2: Al Bhed Assassins **

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2

AN: This turned out longer than I expected. And I **finally** have decided upon a plot and I think it's one you might like as readers. I'll need your support, however, as well as your reviews. Thank you.

Chapter 1: Admiration before Ambition 

I was sleeping soundly in my room, my hand tracing the wooden floor as I slept. Nearly seven months had passed since I last saw my cousin…since I had destroyed my lie of a life. I didn't think about it too much afterwards; it wasn't healthy to dwell on the past when the present was throbbing for attention. Besides, what good would it do me?

A knock on the door dragged me back into the conscious world. Nevertheless, the bed comforted me more, pulling me deeper into a thick resolve to remain sleep, however the knocks came harder and I had no choice but to answer it. I grabbed my old thief blades, grudgingly making my way to the door.

"Rammu? Fru'c drana?" I asked, pressing my ear against the door. Living in Bikanel Desert was good for my health, but it proved to be home to many shady characters, especially at night.

"Ubah ib. Ed'c sa, Gippal." The man on the other side of the door was barely audible, and yet I managed to hear him just the same.

"Gippal?" I questioned, a little perturbed that he decided to make random, late night visits to my house. I growled inwardly to myself, rummaging my pockets for the keys. "Fryd tu oui fyhd? Tu oui ghuf fryd desa ed ec?"

"Zicd ubah dra tysh tuun, Rikku!" he yelled back, kicking the door with his boot. Initially, that display of masculinity shocked me. However, my backbone came back and I growled again, opening the door.

The rugged man before me smiled slightly, pulling me into his greatly toned body. He walked around half-naked in the desert nights, which meant skin-to-skin whenever he stopped by at night. I, myself, wore little more than a skimpy undershirt and low-cut shorts in the desert, where temperatures easily hit low 100s without thought.

"How was I supposed to know it was you, Gippal?" I groaned, tossing myself back into bed, blades dropped beside my boots. "Could have been some eteud banjand trying to get a free feel."

Gippal glanced over at me with a twisted smile, taking a chair from the kitchen and dragging it through the small hallway to the back of the hut. He pulled it up beside my bed and stared at me as I lay sleepily on its edge, lazing sitting as he did so. I peered up at him through dreamy green eyes whose swirls seemed as intense as moonlight.

As I rolled onto my back, I couldn't help but notice the dingy colored walls, or, for that matter, the cramped living conditions we'd been forced into. The small house had about four rooms; a bedroom in the back with a door, a kitchen, bathroom and a small, possible second bedroom near the front. Gippal and I had managed to turn that into a storage room, like a roomy closet.

"You worry too much," said Gippal in his cool voice, just as laid back as a high-school jock with a perfect GPA. "Besides…I've been out looking for a new job for us, so that's why I was out all night." I shot him a furtive glace, as though I didn't believe him, which I didn't. 'Honestly. Hell, I even found us a new boss somewhere in Macalania. Apparently – and this is according to the circulating rumors – she's looking for assassins."

"More killing then?" I asked in despair, rolling over so my back was to him. I hated the thought of killing, despite the fact we were so good at it. "For once, Gippal, can't you find us an honest job – like digging up our ruins? It's our history, too, Gippal!"

"Come on, Rikku," said Gippal, trying to protest his case to me. He sat on the edge of my bed, but I didn't want to look back at him. "We need the money. We can't stay in our homelands forever and not pay some sort of rent. It's hard for the Al Bhed too, you know. It's just something we've got to get along with and you know it."

"…What does she need for us to do?" I asked after a moment, pulling the cover up over my shoulders. In all actuality, we both knew there was nothing much else we could do. Money was tight and if we wanted to live here, we had to do what needed to be done. "I mean, who do we have to kill?"

"Well, that I don't know," said Gippal, stripping down to his pants as he slid in under the covers with me. "We'll be meeting up with her tomorrow. I arranged for us to get a ride into a near-by town and we'll walk from there. I'm sure she'll be more willing to tell us then, won't she?"

I shuddered as our bodies touched, his arms wrapping around me. I turned to face him, my palms pressed against his strong chest as his green eyes peered down at me, a dangerous smile dancing in this emerald glimmers. Despite his cool demeanor, he could actually be really sincere and sometimes, he was even really emotional and involved. These moments made me realize just how special it was to have someone there with me.

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The next morning I lay awake, aimlessly staring at the brown ceiling, all amusement gone from me. In the course of several months, I'd been forced to grow up, been forced to leave behind everything I thought I ever knew. It wasn't fair, but that was one of the consequences I was forced to deal with because of my actions. Sadly, that was something else I'd learned from what I'd done, from growing up, it seems.

Gippal had already left, venturing out into the cool morning to finalize our transport arrangements. We were supposed to take a ship to the mainland and then travel through Guadosalam into the Thunder Plains and finally to Macalania.

With a sigh, I rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. I washed my hair, getting the grainy bits of sand from my body and then dried off. I took fifteen minutes putting my hair in a half-braided style before returning to the back bedroom.

I reached into my drawer and pulled out a pair of green shorts, along with a red-yellow belt. I pulled these up over my underwear and proceeded to search for my orange shirt with the attached blue scarves, pulling it over my head. I took my goggles out and wrapped them around my neck, getting my armbands out and putting them on, along with my boots and weapon bag attached to my leg.

"This feels like three year ago," I groaned, staring at myself in a broken mirror. I suppose some things never changed.

And changed into my old clothes, originally adapted from my style for the desert life. It consisted of the green pants, orange tank and leg-bag. I packed my God Hand and waited on the bed for Gippal to knock at my back door.

It was so boring.

Someone knocked on the back door softly, which made me think it might have been a stranger. I stood up and walked over towards the door, my head pressed to the doorpost as I slowly pried it open.

"Ur, rammu, Rikku," said Shinra softly, peering up at me from his digger's suit. I furrowed my brow in annoyance as he twirled his fingers together out of a nervous habit. "Ruf yna oui tuehk?"

"Fro yna oui uh so tuuncdab, Shinra?" I asked in annoyance, opening the door further to properly scold him. "E cfayn ed'c y luhcbenylo."

"Famm, mad sa kad tufh du ed, drah," said Shinra, slightly put out as his hands dropped, I noticed rather maternally. Mentally I slapped myself for being so observant. "E's rana palyica Gippal cyet oui dfu haatat y neta. Fa rybbah du pa kuehk dryd fyo, Pnudran, Pitto yht E, dryd ec. Fuimt oui mega y neta drana uh dra Celsius po lryhla?"

I shrugged, returning to grab my bag and walked out, locking the door behind me. Shinra followed behind me as I stalked off into the dim, golden horizon where Gippal was standing. I simply huffed childishly, something he usually awarded with a smile.

I suppose it's best I explain this to you now. I'm still the same Rikku – it's just that now I'm atoning for my previous actions by trying to help the world in any way that I am able. I might not smile as much as I used to, or giggle or laugh. All the same, I'm still Rikku.

"Ah, there you are," said Gippal, holding his arms out to me. He patted my head softly, motioning towards a very tattooed Brother, who stood there stupidly beside Buddy. "We're all friends here, aren't we?"

"I don't think Brother's too accepting of this," said Buddy with a rare smile. I stared up at the sky in despair, searching for even the tiniest glimmer of hope, finding none. "Either way, just leaving you wouldn't be nice either – Cid would be mortified if we left his little girl here all alone in the hands of random Al Bhed."

"So, let's get going then, shall we?" said Gippal, in a rush to get everything done with before anyone was the wiser. I couldn't blame him; in our "line of work" it was better to get in and get out before anyone decided it was their right to ask you questions. "We've got to be somewhere soon, so that we can hitch ourselves a ride and maybe get something to eat along the way."

"Before we go," said Brother rather rudely, cutting Gippal with his eyes coldly, "we've got stop to make. Our needs come first, got that? I'm the captain on this ship and we do as I say!" Brother did his worst impression of trying to be serious, which, in all honestly, brought me closer to laughing than anything else. He was the funniest person I'd ever met, really, especially when he was trying to prove a point in his nasally accent.

"Sure thing, Brother," said Gippal in his breezy, jock demeanor. Sometimes he was such an arrogant jerk, so full of himself and I hated that more than he knew. I wasn't the only one, however; Brother hated it far more than I did, especially given our relationship. "Rikku and I will just finish some things here before we get ready to go. Just…give us a call why don't you?"

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I fell against the bad in a wild fury, Gippal's mouth hot on my neck as my hands instinctively reached for his wild, golden hair. As I tugged at those thick tendrils, his mouth found mine, our tongues interlacing in heated glory, neither of us able to tell up from down in our passion.

Gippal was an aggressive lover and as such, he carefully but forcefully pulled through the thin layers of my clothes, leaving me into nothing but flesh. He left hot, pink marks on my shoulders, his teeth becoming fierce as he nibbled away at my soul. I removed his shirt, my mouth pressing firmly to his chest as I trailed my tongue up his neck.

"Rikku…" he moaned into my neck, grabbing me firmly by the thicket of my hair.

He bit down roughly into my neck as I removed the bulk of his clothing, leaving only his baggy pants. Gippal lifted me to his mouth, kissing me softly although it never once lacked its usual fervor. I felt myself falling to a realm of fantasy and childish lust, heady passion and untamed desire.

Gippal trailed his fingers down my stomach, his palm pressing gently against my golden mound, his index finger sliding into a warm, wet nook. I groaned as he held me up, forcing me to watch as his tantalizing finger tormented my inner core of passion. I gasped breathlessly, sitting up on my elbows, his right hand splayed against my tensed back; my eyes beheld his skillful mastery of the sexual game and I lusted more for this man who was mine.

The man decided torture was more fun and, in such a mind set, pressed another finger to my already throbbing core, pleasure pulsating throughout my body. In a subconscious acceptance, my body fell lax against his arm, furious want rushing through every pore, through every vein within my body.

"Gippal!" I groaned, taking hold of his pants, pressing our bodies together closely.

Gippal gave a wry smile, lifting my naked body onto him as my feet absentmindedly pushed down his pants just far enough for him to engage. He pulled my down onto his throbbing member, his length filling my depth as he plunged into my wet, warm folds. My body shuddered in the aftermath of the first full thrust, my mouth to his neck, arms draped over his shoulders.

I moaned into his neck as he pressed me into the bed's embrace, his palms pinning my shaking shoulders down as he thrust into me with a mounting force. I could feel the beads of sweat spill forth onto my bare flesh, his face scrunched up in a hazy want of release. Inside of me, I could feel my desire, my passion reaching its unbearable end. In truth, I wished only for that one moment of sheer bliss – where our bodies became one in a synchronized liberation.

As my heart pounded beneath the flesh of my body, I reached up in a instant and caressed Gippal's face, his eyes suddenly becoming clear. I wrapped my arms around his body as he stroked in and out of me relentlessly, our heated bodies pressed together in glorious contact, and inevitably, an explosion erupted. The man collapsed atop of me, his chest pressed against mine, heaving just as I was. Synchronism washed over us in a wave of satisfied pleasure, leaving our bodies limp and searing from our passionate desires.

"Rikku…"

but I already knew what he was about to say and rather than allow him to put such thoughts into words, I kissed him deeply and silenced the thought.

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The _Celsius_ hadn't changed much since the Gullwings disbanded. Nevertheless, it seemed unbearably quiet while prowling the levels of our old home. Memories of YRP still floated vividly in my mind, a painful ball of reminiscent thoughts the inevitable result, followed closely by disclosed tears and whimpering. Of course, Gippal was never around. I hated letting him see me cry.

I found my way to the elevator shaft and before I knew it, I was back on the bridge, walking towards the four men who I knew as Al Bhed kin. Brother was, of course, my brother; Buddy was a friend of the family and Shinra was just some kid we found. He's a real genius though, so we let him stay aboard the _Celsius_ three years ago. Strangely enough, that left Gippal and my actual relation to him was rather complicated in the end.

"So why are you two headed towards Macalania?" asked Buddy curiously as he helped to pilot the _Celsius_ alongside Brother.

Anxiously I turned to Gippal, hoping he'd rescue me from the awkwardness I knew was to come had I said anything about our reason, be it real or otherwise. Like always, he came to my aid when I needed him, supplementing me with a possible yet unlikely answer.

"Why, I'm taking Cid's little girl down to Macalania Temple so that we can spend some quality time and have a date or something without the scorching heat and irritable sand getting in the way," said Gippal, placing his hands firmly on my shoulders, shaking me gently. "Besides, sometimes we need a change in scenery too, you know. Unlike you, we don't have a ship that let's us go all over Spira whenever we want."

"What about your Machine Faction at Djose?" asked Buddy, never missing a beat.

It was a widely known fact that Gippal was the "master" of the abandoned Djose Temple, and as such, he had specific duties. Not only that, but he was the leader of the Machine Faction, a collection of Al Bhed dedicated to resurrecting their old Home buy uncovering artifacts buried in the Bikanel Desert.

"I've decided to be more hands on, you know," said Gippal coolly, brushing past me as to avert Buddy's attention. "So, what were you fellahs up to that made you head that way? Found some new spheres, have you?"

"Nah, nothing of the sort," said Buddy, waving his hand as if he meant to say "Brush it off."

"So then what?" I asked, now suddenly interested.

"Fa vuiht cusadrehk cesemyn du y cbrana," said Brother in our native tongue, feeling more comfortable in that language, as all of us aboard were Al Bhed natives. "Nydran, fa'na hud cina fryd ed ec. Ymm fa ghuf ec dryd ed'c naytehk mega y cbrana yht oui ghuf fryd dryd sayhc. Fa'na kuehk du ku tuhfh yht veht ed.

"Cu dryd'c fro oui kyja ic y neta," I responded, sighing deeply in frustration. I stepped closer, glaring at the back of his tattooed head angrily before groaning, "Ajanodrehk'c dfu cetat fedr oui, ech'd ed, Brother?"

"So…we're off to where then?"

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AN: Uhm…Reviews make me happy

As always,

MotokoForever


	3. Find a Sphere…

**Bang, Bang 2: Al Bhed Assassins **

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy X-2. No one owns anything really…

AN: Please read the bottom Author's Note.

Chapter 2: Find a Sphere…

Believe it or not, Gippal and I found ourselves back on Besaid Island where we were greeted by a rather enthusiastic crowd. I sighed inwardly as the fan girls swarmed around my companion but couldn't blame them. He _was_, after all, the leader of the Machine Faction and, aside from Rin, the _hunkiest_ Al Bhed in the media.

I walked towards the small, inner city and stopped, memories rushing back to my head like a maelstrom of unwanted past lives. I crumbled against a thick barked tree, my hands covering the sides of my head. Voices echoed insanely within my brain, images flashing by quickly against my squinted eyelids. I hated this so much.

"Rikku?"

I turned on my heel and looked up into the gruff, blazing red head I knew as Wakka, Lulu's husband and the father of her child. His bright expression means he was happy to see me so I smiled back in return, weakly. The gruff man pulled me into a tight, warm embrace, impressive for a man who once hated all Al Bheds for whatever personal reason he'd discovered.

"Wakka!" I declared, tossing my arms around his neck.

He'd been like a big brother to me when we were on our Journey with High Summoner Lady Yuna three years ago. Now, that all seemed like a distant memory, faded away like a favorite pair of jeans.

"When'd you get here?" asked the red head, dropping me back to the floor. I regained my balance as he peered down at me with those bright eyes of his and gave yet another weak smile. "Rikku?"

"Huh? Oh, Gippal and I came here because Brother asked us to," I explained absentmindedly as one girl wrapped her arms around the blonde Al Bhed's neck passionately. "Apparently, there's a sphere here that's attracting all sorts of weird fiends. We came here to salvage and protect."

"Ah, that explains why so many fiends have been seen around here," said Wakka slowly, rubbing his shaved stubble in perplexity. "Well, if you're going, maybe I should come along too? I mean, I'm sure it couldn't hurt for me to join you –."

"You're a dad now, Wakka," I interjected softly, patting his shoulders gently. "Besides, Lulu would kill me if I let you come along with me. If something bad were to happen to you, I'd feel so bad and I just wouldn't know what to do. I'm a grown up now, Wakka. I buy drinks, talk to boy and I've even got my own place in Bikanel."

"Looks like you're doing well for yourself, Rikku," said a particularly low voice. I wasn't surprised to see the gothic princess, Lulu, baby Vindina in hand. "It's not surprising, however. You were always a strong girl, weren't you? You are an Al Bhed, after all."

"Lulu…and little Vindina!" I exclaimed, genuinely surprised to see the little one after so long. She let me hold the baby and for a moment, I felt happiness surging through my body, one I hadn't felt in such a long time. "I didn't think I'd see you while I was here."

"Surprises have been happening a lot here on Besaid Island lately," said Lulu, shifting her gaze towards the elusive city. I turned to look also and sighed, knowing the questions about my former comrades would soon arise. "So, I'm aware that the Gullwings disbanded shortly after the defeat of Vegnagun. Wasn't it after Tidus returned?"

"Yeah. Yuna wanted to live with him, you know, and make a family," I admitted bashfully, knowing I'd destroyed her dreams, his along with it. "Paine and Baralai decided to travel around Spira together and see everything that we hadn't been able to. But, I haven't heard from any of them recently."

"Oh. I see," said Lulu, sounding a little put out. "Our comspheres weren't working either. I was wondering if they were avoiding us or whatever else it might have been," she said, shaking her hair back over her creamy shoulders.

"Rikku!"

I turned to where the voice was coming from and saw Gippal, machina gun out as he aimed towards the city. I glanced over there a saw the large four-horned Grendel, a fiend usually found in Calm Lands. I returned little Vindina to his mother and took out my Godhand, rushing towards the fiend, Gippal at my side.

"What the heck is that thing doing here?" I cried, standing beside the Al Bhed man.

I knew fiends had come from far and wide to feel the erotica of the sphere waves. That was yet another mystery Spira had yet to figure out. It was just another basic fact of life that one had to accept as he or she grew older. However, I hadn't expected such powerful beasts to appear, especially from places like the Calm Lands.

"I've no idea but it ruined my little meet and greet over there," growled Gippal, his good left eye furled up in anger. "I say we tear this thing to shreds and rescue that sphere for your brother before someone gets hurt.

"You're not doing this alone," came a solemn voice from over my shoulder. I turned to see Lulu, Wakka standing far back with Vindina grasped protectively in his arms. "This beast is weak against magic. I will assist you so that my home will be safe once again."

"Let's get wild!" I exclaimed, rushing towards the fiend, Godhand prepared to strike.

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"Yeah!" I cheered as the fiend fell, flames spurting from its fanged muzzle before it burst into pyreflies. I jumped high into the air in a burst of excitement, the first I'd felt in almost a year. Gippal seemed to notice; he smiled, genuinely. "Score one for team Sphere Hunters! Whoot!"

Wakka rushed over towards us, Lulu taking her young red head son into her welcoming bosom. I smiled before I rubbed the top of his temple, causing him to reach for my finger. It was an odd thing, seeing something so young embrace such a person as myself_. Babies have no concept of good or bad_, I reassured myself, _that's all it is_.

"So, where are you two headed off to now?" asked Wakka after a brief moment.

"We're heading to Besaid Temple to find a sphere and rescue your village," said Gippal arrogantly, thrusting his face towards the golden sun as it set behind the temple. He peered up curiously, his left eye squinting in confusion. "Although, it has gotten late, I see. I suppose we got off to a late start, huh?"

"Why not spend the night with us, Rikku?" suggested Lulu, cradling Vindina to her chest. "Besides, if you start now, you'll most likely not finish before sleep takes hold of you. I'm sure the Besaid Priests won't mind you taking a rest and getting there in the morning. It's not like they were expecting you tonight, anyway."

"I suppose you raise a valid point," I said, pressing my index finger to my chin, right hand on my hip as I contemplated. "We can start first thing in the morning and beat the crap out of whatever fiend lurking in that awful temple without getting tired. Won't that be fun, Gippal?"

"It doesn't matter to me," said Gippal, staring at me with a strangely colored eye. His expression I couldn't name, but it had to be something between perplexed and inquisitive, as though he wasn't sure what was going on, necessarily. "But a night's rest might do us some good tomorrow morning."

"Well then! It's settled," exclaimed Wakka, instantly cheering up as he patted me on my shoulders, a large grin rushing to his face. I couldn't help but smile while in his presence and, for whatever reason, I felt as if some large weight had been lifted from my shoulders and I could breathe easily for that moment. "We're gonna have us a sleep over, yah? C'mon! I'll do the cooking!"

Wakka rushed off towards his house, Lulu's intense eyes following the man closely. Despite her cold, outward demeanor, she had fallen so madly in love with that man and had become the anchor to support his unbalanced and high energy levels. She was the dim to his light. Together they fit perfectly and I envied that – their completeness, their wholeness. I wondered if Gippal was my complement or if we were just bound to each other by past mistakes…

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That night we gathered around a fire outside of Lulu and Wakka's house, little Vindina perched firmly on my lap. I didn't mind the kid; I actually thought he was rather cute and wanted one of my own to keep, a little Vindina, that is. Lulu laughed at the thought of a child raising a child. I couldn't blame her. I wasn't too much of a grown up, myself, and didn't know if I could ever be so serious about life or about anything else. There just wasn't enough time to sit around and mull things over for hours at a time. I say, "Grab life by the horns and run 'em ragged!"

Wakka and Gippal were playing chef together while I watched Vindina, Lulu making her specialty, a strong alcoholic beverage that was gentle on the stomach and gave a rosy-tint to life. I liked her drink, especially given the severity of my depression as of late. I watched distantly as the three of them scuffled about the campfire, little Vindina playing with the chocobo feathers dangling from my many braids.

"Do you like my chocobo feathers, little one?" I asked as Vindina took one and put it in his mouth, evidence enough of his teething stage. I simply smiled, removing a feather from my belt and handing it to him. "These feathers are the elements of wind. They're the symbols of freedom and the ability to do anything! One day, maybe they'll help you to fly, baby bird, and you'll realize your destiny."

Vindina leaned back against my chest as I sat cross-legged, a few feet away from the fire. The flames danced across our bodies, making small embers glimmer in our eyes. We shared that one moment together, a bliss that no one could take from us. Secretly I wished for a child of my own, for a symbol of stability and peace but knew I'd never find one. Sadly, that possibility had been destroyed long ago.

Gippal rushed past me, Wakka following behind him, skewers of meat clutched tightly in either of their grasps. I stared on in shallow interest, my stomach grumbling from lack of nourishment. This seemed to intrigue Vindina for he peered about curiously, searching for the source of the sound. I smiled softly, running my fingers through his curly red hair. It felt good to touch another living being, not one whose dead soul was trapped within their decaying outer shell.

The wind blew softly, bringing in soft scents of ocean tides and a sharp chill that shook loose a chocobo feather from my hair. Instinctively I watched as it drifted upwards towards the sky, fading away in the gentle light of the half-moon towards the sea. Maybe I'd go find my feather later tonight when everyone else was asleep. Getting down to the shore to see the ocean wouldn't be such a bad thing; I hadn't seen it in so long, after all.

"Rikku, mind putting Vindina down to sleep?" said Lulu as she stoked the fire, Wakka putting another skewer of meat over the blazing flames. "He's getting cranky and this cold air might make him catch cold."

"All right, Lulu," I said, lifting the sleepy toddler into my arms, disappearing into their hut.

I moved closer towards the boy's crib, cradling him gently in my arms. He was such a cute kid and favored Wakka mostly, except for the eyes, which belonged to Lulu. Those very same eyes glanced over towards his crib and immediately he began to fuss like most children do when they realized the inevitable. Vindina put up a bit of a fight but eventually, after some gentle lullabies and rubs, his heavy eyelids gave up and closed.

I sat in a chair, staring blankly at a flickering candle, its dying flame dancing endlessly in my green, swirling pupils. I felt as if my life was draining from me, bit by bit from my pores, a feeling of lost washing over me in waves so profoundly that I hadn't enough mind to catch my breath as it fled from me in wild abandon. I heaved sickly, the dry air sticking to me like wet pants of a slick shirt; I felt empty on the inside, my heart wishing for something to envelope it.

Before me lay an image of death, faces I thought I'd left in the past, flicking in my eyes as vividly as if they'd been there. Jhudah's face flashed before me, his eyes just as seething as they'd been before, the same with everyone else who I'd felled in my roaring wrath. I grabbed the edge of my seat fiercely, terror having taken over my heart, its coldness seeping in through the flaring pores around my body.

"Rikku! Rikku snap out of it!" said Gippal fiercely as he shook me from my stupor, releasing the hold those spectral beings had had on me.

I peered up into his worry-ridden eyes and felt a flush rushing to my cheeks in that instance. He was sincere then, genuine in his emotion. At that moment, I realized what it meant to be alone.

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As the clouds passed by overhead, I couldn't find the calling of sleep. Restlessly I stared out the window into the darkness of night, edgy and unable to contain the jitteriness inside of me. It was enough to cause my legs to tremble and nearly wake Gippal from his comatose-like sleep. I got to my feet, grabbed my boots and headed out the door, Godhand packed.

I traced the familiar pathway to the beach, careful not to disturb any near by fiends. I wasn't in the mood to fight tonight; I just wanted some peace. As I reached the shore of Besaid Beach, I felt a familiar wave of tranquility wash away my fears and resolutions. I gave in to the feeling of want and let go of all my passions, falling to the force of the powers that be.

A shaky breath left my lips, slipped from my existence and danced away on the aquamarine waves, gone from me like everything else I'd ever come to know. It was the way of the world, a continuing spiral of death. Auron had said it best. _Summoners challenge the bringer of death, Sin, and die doing so. Guardians give their lives to protect their summoner. The fayth are the souls of the dead. Even the maesters of Yevon are unsent. Spira is full of death. Only Sin is reborn, and then only to bring more death. It is a cycle of death, spiraling endlessly._ I didn't understand what he meant until then…long after he had passed into the Farplane.

I stepped closer towards the wavering waters, the waters that pushed and pulled, a force they'd made of their own rhythm. My heart beat in that same rhythm, steadily against my chest as the water lapped at my ankles, my boots cast aside. The gritty sandy between my toes was a soft reassurance of a childhood memory, one I'd forgotten long ago in my bloody rant.

The water splashed up higher on my leg as I pressed onward, now up to my knees in the cold fluid, the essence of life. The cold water kept me leveled as I half way lost my conscious mind to the indulgence I'd been allowed. I felt so relieved.

"Peace…"

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The next morning I waited outside against the hut for Gippal. I sipped warm, brown liquid from a cup soothingly, the dim clouds overhead running from the blistering horizon. It felt like my life, where the sun was truth and the moonlight's reign was somber tranquility for sinners. It wasn't something I wanted to think about so early in the morning, but knew that it was true, regardless.

I tossed the rest of the warm liquid into my mouth, the fluid coating the insides of me like a thick cream, refreshing but comforting at the same. I put the cup beside the door outside and peered upwards at the dawning horizon with passionate displeasure. I disliked a pretty sunrise and hated golden halos.

_That's too angelic,_ I silently mused inwardly, wrapping my arms around my stomach fearfully. I lowered my gaze in shame, averting it to the sandy dirt beneath my feet. _Why does anything get to be so…so damn innocent? Don't mock me, sunrise. I know my sins – I don't need you to remind them to me. _

"Rikku, are you ready?" asked Gippal, dipping out from the hut, a steaming cup in his hands too. I glanced over at him with sleepy eyes and yawned, getting up to my feet. "Lulu said that there should be a few priests up there now with the authority to let us enter Besaid's sacred temple. I just want to get this over with, already. We've got another job to be doing, you know."

"I'm aware of what we've got left to do, Gippal," I shot back in annoyance, walking towards the temple slowly. "You're the one who decided to take the damn job, need I remind you. So, if anyone's to blame, it's you!"

I stormed off without looking back at him and marched up the stairs to Besaid Temple, bowing to those who bowed to me. Gippal caught up in a matter of seconds, his longer legs allowing him greater strides. I glanced at him from over my shoulder and sighed, stepping up to the High Priest present.

"High Priest, we've come to rid you of your sphere-fiend problem," I said softly, bowing to the elderly looking man. He bowed to us in a very eloquent way, his wisdom and age resonating as he performed the same action. He was so significant here. "Mind telling us what's going on?"

"Thank you for coming on such short notice," said the Besaid priest, opening his arms to Gippal and I in a Besaid sort of greeting. "Our small village has fallen into such a perilous state, it seems, since the acquisition of a certain sphere. Indeed, Besaid Temple's deepest chasm has become home to a most horrible fiend. Some of the other Besaid priests believe that this fiend is an Aeon."

"An Aeon?" I gasped, staggering slightly as waves of memories came crashing back into my brain. This wasn't what I expected to hear first thing in the morning. In fact, it wasn't something I wanted to hear at all. "But the Aeons were wiped out a year ago, and then once again before that," I protested, "they can't just come back."

"The Aeons are nothing more than unsent spirits of the Farplane's domain," said the High Priest in a sudden epiphany. "Unlike us – those bound to the realm of the living – they may exist so long as they are unsent. Effectively, they will continue to do what they will do. However, these Aeons are different and I believe them to be the unsent souls of very vengeful or confused people."

"At the very end of the temple – after the Cloister of Trials?" I asked slowly, although I already knew the answer. The old man nodded and inwardly, I groaned. "Somewhere deep inside of Besaid Temple, in the Chamber of the Fayth awaiting us is an Aeon, then?"

"It would seem so," said the old man, bowing before leaving us alone.

_It's impossible – the Aeons are all…No. I won't believe that it's an Aeon…not just yet, at least._

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the Cloister of Trials wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. In fact, it had very likely been de-activated after Sin was gone for good. Nevertheless, the place was swarming with fiends, and not the small kind. There were much stranger creatures here; things that we'd only seen after the Farplane had been opened onto Spira. It scared me to think such things were seeping out of such a holy place.

"Rikku, look – just up ahead!" whispered Gippal, point to a gleaming light through the thick, hazy mist. Sure enough there it was, the light where all others had fallen: a sphere. "Once we remove it, we've got to make a run for it. The fiends will come for it, you know."

"Right. So grab it and I'll watch your back," I said, pulling my Godhand out eagerly. He whipped his gaze about to stare at me as if he was going to refute my idea. Before he could, I quickly interjected my reasoning. "You're a faster runner than me and besides, there's not enough space to use your gun in here. It's better if I do it than you, Gippal."

"Looks like Cid's girl has got it all figured out, then," said Gippal, latching his machina weapon onto his back. I smiled softly, flexing my arm to stretch out the taut, sleepy muscle. "Just make sure you don't die. Your brother would kill me if something happened to you, Kid."

"Easy, peasy," I giggled, jumping up slightly in my excitement. He quirked an eyebrow at me, his left eye gleaming with genuine curiosity, probably because of my sudden mood change. I couldn't blame him; I was unpredictable. "I've got this in the bag, Gippal. Just let Rikku handle this!"

"Alright. On my mark," he said, reaching for the sphere.

As he took the sphere and we turned, a large Dark Flan, along with two level 2 chimeras. Gippal jumped in front of me, sliding the sphere into my front leg patch. I took a few steps back as fear overtook me, Gippal felled by the three fiends. As my back neared the wall, my left foot pressed against the container for the Fayth, a golden light emanating from the circular platform. Light engulfed me and soon, a warm, tingly sensation washed over me and all fear was gone. The fiends disappeared in that light, nothing more than glowing pyreflies.

_Rikku._

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AN: Sorry about the last chapter – I forgot to put the translations, or at least a place to figure out the Al Bhed. Thanks Sami for the reminder . Anyway, I'll put the website for the translations at the next AN, ok?


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